BENEDICTIONS ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS.

Benedictions at Scenes of Miracles, or of Past Idolatry.

M.IX. I. He who sees a place in which miracles were wrought for Israel 5 says: "Blessed be He who wrought miracles for our fathers in this place." In the, case of a place from which idolatry was uprooted, he says: "Blessed be He who uprooted idolatry from our land."

T. VII. 2. He that seeth idolatry says: Blessed be He who is slow to anger. [He that seeth] a place from which idolatry was uprooted says: Blessed be He who hath uprooted idolatry from our land; may it be pleasing in Thy sight, O LORD our God, that idolatry be uprooted from our land, and from all places in Israel, and mayest Thou turn the hearts of them that worship idols to worship Thee.

He that seeth hosts 1 says: Blessed be He who is wise in all these mysteries, for none of their countenances is alike, nor their knowledge alike. 2

Ben Zoma saw hosts in the Temple area. He said: Blessed be He who created all these to serve me. How much did Adam toil, and tasted not one mouthful, until he had ploughed, and sowed, and reaped, and harvested, and threshed, and winnowed, and sifted, and ground, and bolted, and kneaded, and baked, and after that he ate! But I arise at dawn and I find all these things already done for me. How much did Adam toil, and clothed himself with not a single garment until he had shorn, and cleansed, and beaten, and dyed, and spun, and weaved, and sewed, and after that he clothed himself! But I arise at dawn and find all these things already done for me. How many trades (i.e. tradesmen) are anxious and rise early! But I arise at dawn and I find all these already done for me.

And so Ben Zoma used to say: "What does a good guest say? Remember the landlord for good! How many kinds of wine hath he brought before us! How many kinds of portions of meat hath he brought before us! How many kinds of fine bread hath he brought before us! All that he did, he did only for my sake. But what does an evil guest say? Well, what have I eaten of his? One bit of bread have I eaten of his; one portion of meat have I eaten of his; one cup have I drunk of his; all that he did, he did only for the sake of his wife and his children. And so it says "Remember that thou magnify His work, whereof men have sung." 3

Footnotes

74:5in which miracles were wrought for Israel, e.g. "the fords of the Red Sea, the streams of Arnon, the fords of Jordan, and the stone on which Moses sat when he made war with Amalek, and the like" (Bartenora). These and others are mentioned in the Gemara, T.B. 54.